Before The Boxcar Grocer opened two years ago, Castleberry Hill was considered a food desert - an area where healthy food options were nowhere to be found.

"The only places that residents could really walk to and get retail food were two Chevron stations and a Texaco gas station. And that was it," said Boxcar Grocer co-owner Alphonzo Cross.

The store's mission is to bring healthy food options to under served communities. Now they're taking it a step further: starting Monday, the store will begin accepting EBT cards.

Cross said becoming EBT approved was a six-month process, including an application, inspection and meeting a number of qualifications. He expects business to increase by as much as 20 percent once the machines are functional.